Zhang Anda is into the world’s top 16 for the first time in his career having landed his maiden ranking title at the International Championship, earning him a place in the final stages of the MrQ UK Championship.
Zhang beat Tom Ford 10-6 in the final in China on Sunday and the £175,000 prize boosts him from 37th to 15th on the official two-year list. Ford earned £75,000 as runner-up and he’s up from 20th to 16th so he’s also among the top 16 seeds who head to York later this month for the first event in the 2023/24 Triple Crown Series. Three-time UK Champion Ding Junhui is edged into 17th place so he’ll head for the qualifying rounds which start on November 18th.
This list will now determine the seedings for the MrQ UK Championship with the draw and format to be announced this week.
Ronnie O’Sullivan continues his 19-month unbroken spell as world number one and, having reached the semi-finals in China, extends his lead over second-placed Judd Trump to £34,000.
Victory also earns Zhang a place in the Cazoo Champion of Champions and he will face O’Sullivan in the first round on Wednesday.
On the one-year ranking list Zhang has jumped from seventh to second behind Judd Trump, leaving him well placed to qualify for all three events in the Players Series. Ford climbs from 15th to fifth.
O’Sullivan’s run to the semi-finals earned him £33,000 and boosted him from 33rd to tenth. Jordan Brown was the other losing semi-finalist and he leaps from 65th to 16th. Stephen Maguire was a quarter-finalist and he’s up from 20th to 15th.
There are just three counting events to go before the top 32 – as it stands at the end of the BetVictor Scottish Open in December – will qualify for the World Grand Prix in Leicester in January.
Liu Hongyu is currently ‘on the bubble’ in 32nd place with £29,500. Star names who have work to do in order to earn a World Grand Prix spot include Luca Brecel (60th) and Neil Robertson (70th).
The MrQ UK Championship will be the last counting event in the Race to the 2024 Masters, with the top 16 at the end of that event to earn a place at Alexandra Palace in January. Zhang is up to 13th and well place for a Masters debut, while Ford is 16th and has a lead of £9,000 over 17-placed Ding.
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